Fibrous rip-open means for metallic containers



23, 1966 J. A. GEIGER 3,268,105

FIBROUS RIP-OPEN MEANS FOR METALLIC CONTAINERS iiilgd July 14, 1964 I 4Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR 1966 J. A. GEIGER 3,268,105

FIBROUS RIP-OPEN MEANS FOR METALLIC CONTAINERS Filed July 14, 1964 4Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR J. A. GEIGER Aug. 23, 1966 FIBROUS RIP-OPENMEANS FOR METALLIC CONTAINERS Filed July 14, 1964 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Aug.3, 1966 J. A. GEIGER 3,268,105

FIBROUS RIP-OPEN MEANS FOR METALLIC CONTAINERS Filed July 14, 1964 4Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR United States Patent 3,268,105 FIBROUS RIP-OPENMEANS FOR METALLIC CONTAHNERS .ioseph A. Geiger, 1701 16th St. NW.,Washington, D.C. 20009 Filed July 14, 1964, Ser. No. 382,479 25 Claims.(Cl. 220-49) The present invention rel-ates to rip-open means forcontainers and more particularly to non-metallic or fibrous rip-opendevices designed to be incorporated in metallic containers such as cans.The invention has particular merit when embodied in food or beveragecans with a hermetically sealed end closure or lid, suit-able to resistinternal pressures.

A conventional way of opening cans for removal of their contents is bythe use of a special cutting tool such as a manually or automaticallyoperated can opener which cuts the can lid close to its peripheral seam,so that the lid can either be removed or bent open to produce an openingslightly smaller in size than the can diameter. However, if no such canopener is at hand, it may become difficult to remove the contents of thecan, Simple puncturing may sufiice to remove liquid contents but when itis necessary to remove the entire lid, it may be an arduous task to doso without a can opener.

The desire to provide an effective built-in rip-open device for cans isa long-standing one, as manifested by the great number of inventionsalready made in this field. Many good solutions to this problem haveonly failed because their elevated cost made mass-marketing impossible.

It is, therefore, one of the objects of this invention to provide aninexpensive, non-metallic opening means for incorporation in metalliccontainers where it is confined between wall portions of the containerand which, upon being pulled, causes severance of one of the containerconfining walls and consequently permits opening of the containerthereby eliminating the need for a special opener tool.

It is another object of this invention to provide an opening means ofthe type mentioned above which is compressible and thereby capable ofserving as a sealing element when it is confined inside the containerseam.

A further object of this invention is to provide a nonmetallic openingmeans of fibrous material, capable of being impregnated with a compoundthat will make it adhere to the container lid for easier handling andassembly and at the same time improve its sealing capability afterassembly.

A still further object of this invention is to provide theearlier-mentioned compressible non-metallic opening means forconfinement inside a container seam with a transition portion betweenits confined and free portions of length, whereby the transition fromwithin to without the seam does not require any hole or slot or otherpenetration in the seam Walls.

With the advent of aluminum as a suitable material for food and beveragecans and the introduction of the impact-extrusion technique in the artof producing aluminum containers it has become possible to economicallymass-produce aluminum cans. These cans are characterized by theirtwo-piece design, as compared to the conventional three-piece design oftin cans. As is well known, the latter normally comprise a cylindricalbody with a longitudinal seam and two circular end closures.Impact-extruded cans consist of a body with a singlepiece bottom andshell, and an end closure of the type used on tin cans. The body ispressed into shape from a small disc of soft aluminum by a single strokeon a heavy press, using an impact-extrusion die. The can bodies3,268,105 Patented August 23, 1956 produced by this method arecharacterized by a comparatively heavy bottom of flat or inwardlyrecessed configuration and a thin seamless shell. With this productionmethod it has become possible to produce can bodies of other thancircular cross section, such as hexagonal or square ones, for example,the difference being only one of die design and entirely within the art.The advantages offered by square cans in their reduced spacerequirements are obvious and need not be elaborated upon.

In my application for Letters Patent No. 326,816 filed with the UnitedStates Patent Office on November 29, 1963, I have disclosed a method andapparatus for seaming metallic containers, taking into consideration thespecial characteristics of container bodies produced by theimpact-extrusion method. The above-mentioned application is teaching theart of constructing a container seam by interlockingly folding the endportion of the container wall over a parallel, contiguous and inwardlypositioned lid wall portion, thereby producing a hermetic seam for apressure-resistant container. The method disclosed is equally suitablefor circular as well as for non circular seams. It is thus possible tomake seams of square contour with only a certain minimum corner radius,as required for proper closure.

In view of the above developments, it is therefore a still furtherobject of this invention to provide an opening means for metalliccontainers which can be adapted equally well to all contours ofcontainer seams which, then, may be designed to be round, square or ofany other suitable contour.

In accordance with the above objects, and as a feature of thisinvention, there is provided a fibrous rip-open means of the thread-typeor band-type, comprising a plurality of pull resistant fibres, andresiliently compressible in its cross section, impregnable and thereforehaving improved sealing capabilities, but sufficiently resistant tosever the wall of a pressure-resistant container.

Accordingly, as another feature of this invention, provision is made fora seam construction where the rip-open means is confined between aninner wall which is a peripheral part of the container lid and an outerwall which is art of the body shell, whereby, upon pulling of theripping element, the outer or body wall portion of the seam will besevered. Engineering theory and practice reveal that it is possible, andeven advantageous, to keep the longitudinal shell of a pressure vesselthinner than its end members, even more so when it is not possible, asin the case with cans, to provide those end members with an outwardlydomed shape.

Accordingly also, as another feature of this invention, provision ismade for a seam construction in which the seam is formed from the twocontainer parts without thereby bending or deforming the container lid.Such a lid, after having been removed from a container by means of therip-open device, can be re-used on a new container together with a newrip-open element.

Lastly, as still another feature of this invention, provision is madefor a seam and lid construction permitting the temporary re-closure ofthe container after operation of the rip-open device and removal of thelid. The removed lid can be re-placed over the open end of thecontainer, fitting snugly onto its initial seat.

The above and other features of the invention, including various noveldetails of construction and combination of parts will now be moreparticularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings andpointed out in the claims. It will be understood that the particularrip-open devices embodying the invention are shown by way ofillustration only and not as a limitation of the invention. Theprinciples and features of this invention may be employed in varied andnumerous embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention.

In the drawings in which like reference characters indicate like partsthroughout the several views: I

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a container or can embodying theinvention, the container being partially cut open for illustrativepurposes.

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of a square end closure for use with asquare container body embodying the same invention.

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of a similar but circular end closure.

FIGURE 4 is a cross section of the upper part of a container body and ofan end closure and rip-thread ready for assembly thereto.

FIGURE 5 is similar to FIG. 4, showing the end closure after it has beensevered and removed from the body in accordance with the invention.

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged cross section of fragments of a container bodyand of an end closure with a rip-thread. The parts are positioned forthe seaming operation.

FIGURE 7 is similar to FIG. 6, showing the same parts after the seamingoperation.

FIGURE 8 is similar to FIGS. 6 and 7, showing the same parts after therip-open operation.

FIGURE 9 is an enlarged cross section of fragments of a container bodyand of an end closure with a rip-band representing a differentembodiment of the invention.

FIGURES 10 and 11 are enlarged cross sections of fragments of an endclosure and of a spacer ring with a rip-thread before and afterattachment to the end closure, representing still another embodiment ofthe invention.

FIGURES l2 and 13 are similar to FIGS. 10 and 11, showing an end closureand a spacer ring with a rip-thread before attachment and after partialattachment to the end invention.

FIGURE 14 is an enlarged cross section of fragments of the parts shownin FIG. 13 and of a container body, showing all parts locked togetherafter the seaming operation.

FIGURES 15 through 22 are enlarged cross sections of fragments of acontainer body and of an end closure with a rip-open thread, the partsbeing shown locked together after the seaming operation. These eightfigures represent a selection of different embodiments of the invention.

Referring to the figures enumerated above, the reference character Aindicates generally a container body closed at its bottom end, while thecharacter B is applied to the upper end closure, more commonlydesignated as the lid. In combination with the rip-open means describedhereinafter they represent embodiments of the present invention.

In general, the illustrations suggest the use of impactextruded aluminumcontainer bodies, characterized by a one-piece seam-free bottom andshell construction. Container bodies of this kind normally have a sidewall of .005 to .010 inch in thickness and an inwardly domed bottom ofmuch heavier gauge. Constructed in this manner, and closed with asuitable lid, a container with a diameter of two and one-half inches iscapable of withstanding internal pressures of 120 pounds per square inchor more. Such pressures may occur, for example, at the inside ofcontainers for carbonated beverages, as is the case for beer during theprocess of pasteurization, and also in containers for foods which arecooked inside the container. The one-piece bottom and shellconstruction, as referred to above, is not a restrictive pre-requisitefor the embodiment of this invention. For the successful implementationof this invention it is preferable, however, to use container bodies ofrelatively soft material having no longitudinal seam of the conventionaloverlapping type. A body with a welded and flattened longitudinal seamwould be equivalent to a seam-free one with respect to this invention.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates aparticular embodiment of the invention,

comprising a body A and lid B, an endless seam 25 securing the lid tothe body, and a free end 26 of a rip-thread 27 being pulled by a humanhand 28 in the direction of arrow 29. The construction of the endlessseam 25, as well as the effect of the pulling action are illustratedmore distinctly in FIGURES 6, 7 and 8.

FIG. 6 shows a body wall 30 as part of the container body A, said bodywall having a horizontal shoulder 31, a tapered wall portion 32 and avertical uppermost wall portion 33. Positioned inside the body A isshown a lid B, comprising a neck portion 34, closely fitting the bodywall 30, a horizontal shoulder 35, similar to the body wall shoulder 31,and a tapered peripheral wall portion 36 parallel to the tapered portion32 of the body. A ripthread 27 is interposed in the annular space 37defined by the shoulders 31 and 35. Starting from its inner end 38 thethread 27 encircles the lid until it reaches the end point of annularconfinement 39, from which it leads uppward between the tapered portions32 and 36 of the body and lid, over the lid edge 40 and downward alongthe inside of the lid taper 36 into the annular groove 41 of the lid.

The overlap 42 between the inner end 38 and the point 39 of therip-thread has the purpose of assuring frictional confinement of therip-thread 27 during the last part of the ripping operation. Reductionor elimination of the overlap 42 would result in severance of the bodywall over less than its entire circumference.

The transitional thread portions 43 and 44 which follow the annularportion 45, starting at point 39 and ending in the lid groove 41, areshown to have a diagonal direction with respect to the lid edge 40 inorder to avoid the higher compression of the thread portions 43 and 44which would result from a perpendicular transition.

The lid A is shown in FIG. 6 to be resting on the ripthread 27, therebyleaving a slight clearance between the tapered portions 32 and 36 of thebody and lid. This clearance will disappear during the seaming operationand the rip-thread 27 will be compressed as shown in FIG. 7.

In FIG. 7 of the lid B is shown to be firmly attached to the containerbody A by an endless seam 25. The initially vertical body wall portion33 has been folded over and to the inside of the lid taper 36. The lidis thus firmly held between the tapered portion 32 and the fold edge 46of the body wall. On its annular portion 45 the rip-thread 27 iscompressed between the shoulders 31 and 3-5 to a predetermined thicknessand therefore longitudinally confined. On its transitional portions 43and 44 the rip-thread is shown to be compressed to a very thin flattenedband 27a. Theoretically the thickness of this band would be zero, but inpractice the body wall portions 32 and 33 will be slightly thinned andbulged along the transitional lines 43 and 44 of the ripthread.

The inner edge 47 of the body wall is shown to have identations 48 inapproximately the same direction as the transition portion. 44. Theseindentations are produced during the seaming operation by recedingridges on the closing tool (not included in this specification).

A pulling force, when applied to the free end 26 of the rip-thread 27 ina direction away from the container and substantially perpendicular tothe inner edge 47 of the body wall, such as shown by arrow 29 in FIG. 1,will initially lift the wall portion 33 at'its edge 47 a slight amount,enough to permit the rip-thread portion 44 to be shifted until it is inalignment with an adjacent indentation 48. From this point on therip-thread will sever the confining wall portions 33 and 32 of the bodyalong the transition lines 44 and 43, producing transitional severancelines 49 and 50, as shown in FIG. 8. From point 39 onward the severanceline 5 1 will follow the outer edge 52 of the body shoulder 31 along theannular confinement 45 until, after 360 degrees of severance, it hasreached point 39 again. At this point the com-- 5. pression of therip-thread 27 between the shoulders 31 and 35 will be released and theinner end 38 of the ripthread will be free.

The lid B, with the severed part 3 of the seam attached to its taper 36can be removed from the container body A as shown also in FIG. 5.

In FIG. 5 it is also shown how the lid B can be re place over the openend 60 of the container, whereby the neck portion 34 of the lid willcome to fit inside the mouth portion 61 of the body A, with the lidshoulder 35 resting on the body shoulder 31. The container thusre-closed will offer a temporary protection for the contents fromforeign objects, exposure and/or other undesired influences. Also, acontainer accidentally tipped over will not shed its contentsinstantaneously.

Referring back to FIGURES 6, 7 and 8, it can be readily seen that anendless seam of other than circular contour would offer exactly the sameconstruction features as a circular seam with respect to the rip-openmeans. A suitable lid of square contour, for example, is illustrated inFIG. 2.

In FIG. 2 a rip-thread 27 is shown attached to the lid B in essentiallythe same manner as shown in FIG. 3, which illustrates a circular lidcorresponding to the one shown also in FIGURES 6, 7 and 8. A squarecontainer offers advantages with respect to its storage, such as:Reduced overall space requirements, the capability of containers inhorizontal position to form unsupported piles on shelves and otheradvantages depend upon the use of the containers. It also makes possiblevarious improvements in the handling, filling and shipping systems ofthe canning industry.

As can best be seen from FIGURES 6 7 and 8 the lid B does not undergoany deformation during the operations of seaming and opening. Any lidcan therefore be re-used for a new container after the severed part 53has been stripped off its periphery. A new rip-thread must be attachedto the lid for this purpose. From the foregoing it becomes obvious thatthe lid in question is no longer subjected to the requirements of beingeasy to cut, pierce or tear, as is required of lids for conven tionalcontainers. A lid embodying this invention can, therefore, be made ofthe most inexpensive material, as long as it is suitable to withstandthe internal pressures the container is subjected to pressure testsreveal that containers constructed in accordance with this specificationwill not fail at the endless seam or at the lid. Failure will in mostcases occur at someweak point or line on the container wall.

The attachment of the rip-thread to the lid is illustrated in FIGURES 2,3 and 4. Starting at the inner end 38 the rip-thread 27 is wound aroundthe neck portion 34 of the lid B, adjacent to and guided by the shoulder35. After somewhat more than a full encirclement the rip-thread leavesthis line at point 39 and from there on follows the transitional lines43 and 44 to the inside of the lid profile. A free portion 26 of theripthread, long enough to be safely gripped between the fingers of ahand is positioned in the groove 4-1. On the overlap portion 42 of therip-thread, defined by the end 38 and the point 39, the last-appliedpartial convolution 62 will come to rest horizontally contiguous andparallel to the inner convolution 63.

To ensure adherence of the rip-thread to the lid it is preferable toimpregnate the said thread with an adhesive compound which will lose itssurface adhesion after the attachment of the thread to the lid but willretain the interface adherence between the thread and the lid metal. Itis also preferable that the said adhesive compound does not dry to ahard and brittle state but retains a certain elasticity.

As can be readily seen in FIG. 7, the rip-thread 27, being compressiblein its cross section, is also capable of serving as a sealing elementbetween the confining shoulders 31 and 35, thereby rendering the seamleakproof. The sealing capabilities of the rip-thread are improved stillfurther by the above-mentioned impregnation of the thread. The adhesivecompound referred to may be of the latex-type, similar to the kind usedfor sealing conventional can closures.

In accordance with this invention, and as an alternate method of threadattachment, it is also possible to spray the adhesive compound onto thelid surface, and in partlcular on the area occupied by the thread,before or after the rip-thread is wound around the lid.

The material used for the rip-thread is preferably nylon, the threadcross section being composed of a plurality of fine strands. Forexample, a thread with a diameter of .010 inch could contain up to fiftysuch strands.

In FIG. 9 is shown'a different embodiment of the invention, where therip-open element is shown to be a ripband 70 confined by a tapered bodywall portion 71 and a similarly tapered peripheral lid wall portion 72.In its attachment to the lid B and its behavior during the seammg andripping operations the band element 70 can be compared to the threadelement 27 referred to in the preceding paragraphs. Pulling of the freeend 73 of the rip-band 70 will cause the seam to be severed at the linedesignated by arrow 74.

FIGURES 10 to 14 show two similar types of still another embodiment ofthe invention. In FIG. 14 is illustrated a container A with a verticalbody wall 80, a tapered shoulder 81 and a vertical wall portion 82 ofwhich the uppermost part 83 is folded over and to the inside of avertical peripheral end portion 84 of the lid B. The said lid comprisesa neck portion 85 closely fitting the body wall 80 and a taperedshoulder 86 similar to the body wall shoulder 81. An endless spacer ring87, with a rip-thread 88 imbedded within its wall, is confined betweenthe horizontal shoulders 81 and 86 of the body and lid, as well asbetween the wall portions 82 and 83 of the body, and Wall portion 84 ofthe lid. The said spacer ring 87 is of a thickness at least equal thediameter of the rip-thread 88. At the lip 89, where it is compressedbetween the shoulders 81 and 86, it is preferably twice as thick as therip-thread 88 before being compressed as shown.

Comparing FIG. 14 with FIG. 6 it can readily be seen that the rip-threadis in both cases arranged in substantially the same spatial relationshipwith the container-seam. Thetransitional thread portions .90 and 91,corresponding to portions 43 and 44 of FIG. 6, are positioned at rightangles to the lid edge 92. The essential difference between the twoembodiments resides in the fact that in the construction illustrated inFIG. 14 the rip-thread 88 is not being compressed by any substantialamount and therefore it is notrequired to be compressible. In this case,therefore, the rip-thread 88 could be replaced by an equivalent metallicmeans, such as a wire of suitable flexibility. The material used for thespaced ring 87 is preferably a comparatively heat-resistant plasticmolding. Compressed at its lip 89 between the shoulders 81 and 36 itserves as a sealing element within the seam. Opening of this type ofcontainer is performed in substantially the same manner as describedearlier. The rip-thread 88, when pulled by its free end 93, severs thewall portions 83 and 82 while simultaneously being ripped loose from thespacer ring 87.

The endless spacer ring 87 is shown in FIG. 12 before being assembled tothe lid B. In FIG. 13 the same spacer ring is shown during the assemblyoperation to the lid, whereby the lip 89 is slightly stretched while thespacer ring 87 is being pushed in the direction of arrow 94 over theperipheral wall portion 84 of the lid until the lip 89 snaps onto thelid shoulder 86.

FIGURES l0 and 11 show a different endless spacer ring 95 before andafter assembly to the lid B which is of similar cross section as the onesuggested in FIGURES 6 through 8. This type of lid is unsuitable for thesnaponspacer ring as described above. A different method of assembly istherefore suggested in this case. The spacer ring 95 consists of aflange 96, a tapered portion 97 and a vertical portion 98. Therip-thread 88 is imbedded in the spacer ring material in the same manneras illustrated in FIG. 14 and described above. In order to attach thespacer ring 95 to the lid B, its flange 96 is aligned with the shoulder99 of the lid and the vertical portion 98 ofthe spacer ring is foldedover and to the inside of the tapered peripheral wall port-ion 100 ofthe lid, thereby embracing its tightly from both inside and outside.

A selection of eight different embodiments of the invention is given inFIGURES through 22. They suggest different profiles of container lidswith a rip-thread 110 confined between the wall 111 of the lid B and theouter interlocking wall 112 of the body. The arrow 113 indicates theseverance line and the direction in which the rip-thread 110 has to bepulled in order to open the container.

FIG. 15 shows a lid profile with a horizontal shoulder 114 and avertical end portion 115.

FIG. 16 shows a lid profile with an inclined shoulder 116 and a verticalend portion 117, similar to the profile of FIG. 14.

FIG. 17 shows a lid profile with an inclined shoulder 118 and a verticalend portion 119 linked by a large radius to the said shoulder.

FIG. 18 shows a lid profile with a horizontal shoulder 120 and a taperedend portion 121, similar to the profile of FIGURES 6 through 8.

FIG. 19 shows a lid profile with a tapered end portion 122 but with outa shoulder.

FIG. shows a lid profile with an inclined shoulder 123 but without anupright end portion.

FIG. 21 shows a lid profile with a bell-shaped end portion 124 butwithout a shoulder, the rip-thread 110 being positioned by a groove 125.

FIG. 22 shows a lid profile without shoulder or tapered end portion, therip-thread 1110 being positioned by a groove 126 in the vertical wall127 of the lid B, the said lid being positioned inside the body wall 112by indentations 128.

In the foregoing the invention has been described in reference tospecific illustrative devices. It will be understood, however, thatcertain variations and modifications, as well as the substitution ofequivalent elements for those shown for illustration, may be madewithout departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as definedin the appended claims. The foregoing specification and drawings areaccordingly to be regarded in an illustrative rather than in arestrictive sense.

I claim:

1. The combination with a metallic container, of a non-metallic openingmeans consisting of a thin elongated and resiliently compressible memberof substantially continuous cross section, said opening means beingarranged in such relation to said container that over at least part ofits length it is resiliently compressed and longitudinally confinedbetween wall portions of said container, whereby, under application of apulling force to said opening means the said container is opened atleast partially through severence of the metal of a confining wallportion by said opening means.

2. The combination with a metallic container comprising at least twoseparate sections connected by a seam formed from wall portions of saidsections, of a non-metallic opening means consisting of a thin elongatedand resiliently compressible member of substantially continuous crosssection, said opening means being arranged in such relation to saidcontainer that over at least part of its length it is resilientlycompressed and longitudinally confined between the wall portions formingsaid seam, whereby, under application of a pulling force to said openingmeans the container is opened at least partially through severance ofthe metal of said confining wall portions by said opening means,

3. The combination with a metallic container comprising at least twoseparate sections connected by a seam formed from wall portions of saidsections, of a non-metallic opening means consisting of a thin elongatedand resiliently compressible member of substantially continuous crosssection, said opening means being arranged in such relation to saidcontainer that over at least part of its length it is resilientlycompressed and longitudinally confined between the wall portions formingsaid seam thereby serving as a sealing element within said seam,whereby, under application of a pulling force to said opening means thecontainer is opened at least partially through severance of the metal ofsaid confining wall portions by said opening means.

4. The combination with .a metallic container comprising at least twoseparate sections connected by a seam formed from wall portions of saidsections, of a nonmetallic opening means consisting of a resilientlycompressible thread-like member comprising at least one longitudinallypull-resistant fibre, said opening means being arranged in such relationto said container that over at least part of its length it isresiliently compressed and longitudinally confined between the wallportions forming said seam, whereby, under application of a pullingforce to said opening means the container is opened at least partiallythrough severance of the metal of said confining wall portions by saidopening means.

5. The combination of claim 4, wherein the opening means consists of aresiliently compressible band-like member comprising at least onelongitudinally pull-resistant fibre.

6. The combination with a metallic container comprising at least twoseparate sections connected by a seam formed from wall portions of saidsections, of a non-metallic opening means consisting of a resilientlycompressible thread-like member, said thread-like member beingimpregnated with an adhesive sealing compound and arranged in suchrelation to said container that over at least part of its length it isresiliently compressed and longitudinally confined between the wallportions forming said seam thereby serving as a sealing element withinsaid seam, whereby, under application of a pulling force to said openingmeans the container is opened at least partially through severance ofthe metal of said confining container wall portions by said openingmeans.

7. The combination with a metallic container comprising at least twoseparate sections connected by a seam formed from interlockingly joinedwall portions of said sections of a non-metallic opening meansconsisting of a resiliently compressible threadlike member, saidthreadlike member being arranged in such relation to said container thatover a portion of its length it is resiliently compressed andlongitudinally confined between said interlockingly joined smallportions while over another portion of its length it remains free andoutside of the said container and a transition portion between those twoportions f llows a direction of the folding lines of said seam, leadingfrom within said seam-forming wall portion to the outside there ofwithout the need of penetrating through any of said wall portions,whereby, under application of a pulling force to the tree portion ofsaid thread-like member in the direction away from the container andapproximately perpendicular to the outermost confining wall portion ofsaid seam, the said thread-like member will sever the aforementionedoutermost wall portion along the direction of its transitionalconfinement and upon further application of pulling force will sever theouter one of the confining wall portion of said seam close to and alongthe line of confinement of said thread-like element, thereby permittingat least partial separation of the two sections of the container.

8. The combination With a metallic container comprising a body ofsubstantially tubular but not necessarily round shape and at least oneseparate end closure or lid of substantially fiat configuration joinedto said body by an endless seam, of a non-metalic opening meansconsisting of a resiliently compressible thread having a plurality ofpull-resistant fibres, said thread being arranged in such relation tosaid container that a portion of its length is resiliently compressedand longitudinally confined between an inner wall portion comprising theperipheral edge of said lid and an outer body wall portion, said bodywall portion being folded over and toopposite side of said peripherallid wall portion to provide a intimate contact between both parts thusconstituting the aforerner1 tioned endless seam wherein said confinedportion of said thread is resiliently compressed and thereby serving asa sealing element within said seam, said thread having another portionof its length free and outside of said seam and a transition portionbetween those two'portions following a direction substantiallytransverse to the direc-' tion of the folding lines of said seam,leading from within said semi-forming wall portions to the outsidethereof without the need of penetrating through one of said wallportions, whereby under application of a pulling force to the freeportion of said thread in the direction away from the container andapproximately perpendicular to the edge of said seam-forming body wallportion, the said thread will sever the aforementioned body wallstarting at its edge, then following the direction of its transitionalconfinement and upon further application of pulling force will sever thebody wall on the outside of said seam close to and along the line ofconfinement of the thread, thereby separating the said container lid atleast partially from the said container body.

9. The combination of claim 8, wherein the edge of said seam-formingbody wall portion is indented to facilitate the initiation of itsseverance when said thread is pulled.

10. The combination of claim 8, wherein the fibres of said thread runsubstantially parallel to one another there- 'by permitting flatteningof said thread to near the thickness of one fibre under compressionbetween two parallel surfaces.

11. The combination of claim 8, wherein the fibres of said thread areintertwined to restrict and limit separation of the fibres undercompression between two parallel surfaces.

12. The combination of claim 8, wherein the confined portion of saidthread is longer than the circumference of said seam, thereby formingmore than one full convolution within said seam and permitting severanceof the container wall over the entire circumference of said seam.

13. The combination of claim 8, wherein the confined portion of saidthread is of such length that less than the entire circumference of thesaid seam will be severed by pulling said thread, thereby leaving ashort portion of said seam-forming container wall unsevered, said lastmentioned portion serving as a hinge when the lid is removed.

14. The combination witha metallic container comprising a body ofsubstantially tubular but not necessarily round shape and at least oneseparate end closure or lid of substantially fiat configuration madefrom stronger material than the said body and joined to it by an endlessseam, of a non-metallic opening means consisting of a thin elongatedmember of substantially continuous cross section, said opening meansbeing arranged in such relation to said container that over at leastpart of its length it is confined between an inner wall portioncomprising the peripheral edge of said lid and an outer body wallportion, said body wall portion being of weaker material than said lid,whereby, under application of a pulling force to said opening means thecontainer is opened at least partially through severance of the metal ofsaid body wall portion close to and along the line of outer confinementof said opening means.

15. The combination with a metallic container comprising-a 'body ofsubstantially tubular but not necessarily round shape and at least oneseparate end closure or lid of substantially flat configuration joinedto said body by an endless seam, of a non-metallic opening meansconsisting of a thin elongated member of substantially continuous crosssection, said opening means being arranged in such relation to saidcontainer that over at least part of its length it is confined betweeninterlockingly joined wall portions forming the said seam, the outer oneof the confining wall portions being weakened close to and along theline of confinement, whereby, under application of a pulling force tosaid opening means the container is opened at least partially throughseverance of the metal of said outer confining wall along the said lineof weakening.

16. The combination of a metallic container comprising a body ofsubstantially tubular but not necessarily round shape and at least oneseparate end closure or lid of substantially flat configuration madefrom stronger material than said body and joined to it by an endlesseam, of a non-metallic opening means consisting of a thin elongatedmember of substantially continuous cross section, said opening meansbeing arranged in such relation to said container that over at leastpart of its length it is confined between an inner wall portioncomprising the peripheral edge of said lid and an outer body wallportion being of weaker material than said lid, said outer wall portionhaving an outside kink in its cross-sectional contour close to and alongthe line where it confines said opening means, whereby, underapplication of a pulling force to said opening means the container isopened at least partially through severance of the metal of said bodywall portion along the said kink.

17. The combination with a metallic container comprising a body ofsubstantially tubular but not necessarily round shape and at least oneseparate end closure or lid of substantially flat configuration joinedto the said body by an endless seam, of a non-metallic opening meansconsisting of a thread and an endless band-like member of compressibleand comparatively much weaker material, embracing the said thread overpart of its length, said opening means being arranged in such relationto said container that the said endless band-like member is compressedand confined Within interlockingly joined wall portions of said body andlid constituting said endless seam, said endless band-like memberthereby serving as a sealing element within said seam, whereby, underapplication of a pulling force to said thread it is ripped out of saidendless band-like member and the container is opened at least partiallythrough severance of the metal of the outer of said interlockinglyjoined wall portions by said thread.

18. For the combination of a non-metallic opening means with a metalliccontainer, an end closure or lid, adapted to be sealed to the body ofsaid container by interlockingly joining wall portions of said body andlid thereby forming an endless seam, said lid comprising a threadlikemember wound around an outside peripheral surface of said lid in such amanner that it remains attached to it until the said lid is assembled tothe said container body.

19. For the combination of a non-metallic opening means with a metalliccontainer, an end closure or lid, adapted to be sealed to the body ofsaid container by interlockingly joining wall portions of said body andlid thereby forming an endless seam, said lid comprising a threadlikemember, one portion of the length of which is wound around an outsideperipheral surface of said lid in a parallel relationship to its edge,and another transitional portion is leading over and to the oppositeside of said edge in a direction substantially transverse to the saidedge line, so that only part of the said transitional portion will beconfined within an endless seam of the aforementioned type, saidthread-like member remaining attached to said lid until it is assembledto the said container body.

20. For the combination of a non-metallic opening means with a metalliccontainer, an end closure or lid, adapted to be sealed to the body ofsaid container by folding an outwardly positioned wall portion of saidbody over an inwardly and contiguously positioned wall portioncomprising the peripheral edge of said lid to form an endless seam, saidlid comprising a thread-like member, one portion of the length of whichis wound around an outside peripheral surface of said lid in a parallelrelationship to its edge, and another transitional portion is leadingover and to the opposite side of said edge in a direction substantallytransverse to the said edge line, so that only part of the saidtransitional portion will be confined within an endless seam of theaforementioned type, said thread-like member remaining attached to saidlid until it is assembled to the said container body.

21. An end closure or lid as described in claim 20, where the saidoutside peripheral lid surface comprises shoulder means to laterallyposition the portion of the said thread-like member which is woundaround said lid surface.

22. An end closure or lid as described in claim 20, where the saidoutside peripheral lid surface carries a coating of at least initiallyadhesive material, causing the said thread-like member to adhere to saidlid surface after being wound around it, said adhesive material beingcapable of serving as a sealing element after the assembly of the saidlid to the said container body.

23. An end closure or lid as described in claim 20,- where the saidthread-like member is impregnated with 12 an adhesive compound beforebeing wound around the said peripheral lid surface, causing the saidthread-like member to adhere to said lid surface, said adhesive materialbeing capable of serving as a sealing element after the assembly of thesaid lid to the said container body.

24. An end closure or lid as described in claim 20, where the process offorming an endless seam by folding of an outwardly positioned body wallportion over an inwardly and contiguously positioned lid wall portiondoes not entail any deformation of the said lid.

25. An end closure or lid as described in claim 20, where the process offorming an endles seam by folding of an outwardly positioned body wallportion over an inwardly and contiguously positioned lid wall portiondoes not entail any deformation of the said lid, and where the said lidis suitable for being used more than once for assembly to a containerbody by virtue of it being neither deformed nor cut during the seamingand opening operations, said opening operation causing the severance ofthe said body wall only.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 6/ 1931 Ofted ahl22049 7/1937 Taylor 22049

2. THE COMBINATION WITH A METALLIC CONTAINER COMPRISING AT LEAST TWO SEPARATE SECTIONS CONNECTED BY A SEAM FORMED FROM WALL PORTIONS OF SAID SECTIONS, OF A NON-METALLIC OPENING MEANS CONSISTING OF A THIN ELONGATED AN RESILIENTLY COMPRESSIBLE MEMBER OF SUBSTANTIALLY CONTINUOUS CROSS SECTION, AND OPENING MEANS BEING ARRANGED IN SUCH RELATION TO SAID CONTAINER THAT OVER AT LEAST PART OF ITS LENGTH IT IS RESILIENTLY COMPRESSED AND LONGITUDINALLY CONFINED BETWEEN THE WALL PORTIONS FORMING SAID SEAM, WHEREBY, UNDER APPLICATION OF A PULLING FORCE TO SAID OPENING MEANS THE CONTAINER IS OPENED AT LEAST PARTIALLY THROUGH SEVERANCE OF THE METAL OF SAID CONFINING WALL PORTIONS BY SAID OPENING MEANS. 